Champion status at stake in Dallastown high school science fair

One student got inspiration for his project while touring the USS Constitution in Boston.

Many visitors to the USS Constitution in Boston marvel at the frigate's battle history, especially the ship's role in the War of 1812 and how it earned its nickname, Old Ironsides.

Others lose themselves in the construction of the historic vessel, such as the wood used to build the ship.

Last summer, while touring the Constitution, Max Lohss took note of its hull, specifically its white-oak construction.

"How did early settlers know to use white oak?" said Lohss, a sophomore at Dallastown Area High School.

Lohss' interest in the frigate eventually became the subject of an experiment, the results of which he has entered in The 53rd Annual Dallastown Area High School Science and Engineering Fair.

Lohss compared white oak and red oak, running mechanical property tests on both. He found that, because of its natural makeup, white oak has stronger properties than red oak.

"My guess is that that early settlers bent different types wood and found that white oak was just stronger," Lohss said.

The 16-year-old is now in the running to win either grand champion or reserve grand champion of the fair's senior division.

The school will announce those awards Sunday .

More than 300 students submitted entries to be judged by fair officials, said Mark Ilyes, a physics teach at the high school.

Of those, 142 have taken first- and second-place awards in both the junior and senior divisions and may compete at the county's science and engineering fair in March, Ilyes said.

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On Saturday, students gave 10-minute presentations for a chance at winning the title of grand or reserve champion of Dallastown's fair, he said.

Sophomore Keely Cunningham, a senior division student, spent 10 minutes Saturday morning explaining to judges how her experiment, with the help of mice, sought to determine how fructose is metabolized.

Last year, Lohss took the title of grand champion of the fair's junior division.

"This year it's a lot more difficult because I'm competing against grades 10th though 12th," he said. "It's a lot more competitive. I'm not looking to win. The science fair is something fun for me to do."

About the fair

The science fair is open to the public from 1-3 p.m. Sunday at Dallastown Area High School. An awards program begins at 3 p.m. in the auditorium. Awards include cash prizes given by individuals and businesses.

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